Nu Shooz

The unofficial slogan of Portland, Oregon is “Keep Portland Weird”, and if they hailed from any other city in the world then Nu-Shooz would be just about as mainstream as they get. However, the fact is that they come from the same city that’s most famous for giving us Elliot Smith and The Decemberists, and the fact that they’ve also given us such a chart-friendly proposition as well just makes the place more delightfully eccentric. Having formed in 1979 as a four piece band, Nu-Shooz had expanded to a twelve piece by the following year, including a four piece brass section and three backing singers.

They quickly became a must-see nightclub act around their native Portland, landing the ladies night slot at one of the most popular clubs in the state, Last Hurrah in 1981. However, initially the band struggled to achieve recognition outside of the local club scene. Their debut album, 1982’s “Can’t Turn It Off”, wasn’t a hit but due to a band reshuffle in 1983, the band’s percussionist Valerie Day became their lead vocalist. This was evidently what was missing from the band, as their first release after this, the single “I Can’t Wait” was a major regional hit at first. However, after a remix by Peter “Hithouse” Slaghuis, it became an international smash, peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number two on the U.K singles chart.

The band released their hit album “Poolside” off the back of it and had another top 30 hit on the Hot 100 in the form of “Point Of No Return”, and ever since then, the band have been one of the most fondly remembered pop acts of the 1980’s. The band split in 1992 after being dropped by Atlantic Records, but reformed in 2007 and have been releasing the best albums of their career ever since, along with performing some of their best concerts to boot. Like any one-hit wonder worth their salt, Nu-Shooz are a great band once you look a little closer, and for that reason, they come highly recommended.